Pre-flight Inspection Check

After the aircraft is assembled, conduct an inspection to ensure all hardware components are properly attached and the software is set up correctly. This inspection should consist of the following:

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Hardware, Software & Environmental Checklist

Aircraft checks

• Check the fuselage for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Confirm visually ➡️ 4x wing latches secured.

• Check the wings for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Confirm visually ➡️ 4x arm extensions screwed in.

• Check the wing’s 4x hover arms for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Confirm visually ➡️ 2x V-tail latches secured.

• Check the V-tail for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Confirm visually ➡️ Screws for all 5x propellers are tightened.

• Check the five propellers for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Check if all five propellers can freely spin and perform a full rotation ensuring that they are not obstructed by any adjacent structure or components.

• Check the landing gear for any damage, cracks, loose parts, and missing fasteners.

• Confirm visually ➡️ battery connectors fully inserted.

• Check if battery is of the appropriate type as listed under Battery section.

• Check the battery for any corrosion, degradation, or any anomalies.

• Check if there are no debris inside the battery compartment.

• Check if motors are of the appropriate types as listed under Motors section.

• Open avionics bay and check the electronic components for any corrosion, degradation, or any anomalies.

• Check if the avionics bay has no loose cables.

• Check if there are no debris inside the avionics bay compartment. Close avionics bay.

• Confirm visually ➡️ 2x avionics bay latches secured.

• Open payload bay and check the electronic components for any corrosion, degradation, or any anomalies. Close payload bay.

• Confirm visually ➡️ Payload Bay is slotted in all the way.

• Confirm visually ➡️ Airspeed cover removed.

• Confirm Battery voltage is greater than 48V.

Ground Control Station Checks

• Check if aircraft has successfully connected to the Auterion Mission Control (AMC).

• Confirm flight plan is uploaded to the aircraft.

• Confirm the last mission waypoint on the flight is greater than 300m (RTL_RADIUS) from

  takeoff location.

• Check if aircraft heading matches the virtual map from GCS.

• Check if aircraft’s location matches the GPS’ virtual map from the GCS.

• Confirm that RTL_ALTITUDE (60 m, typically) is greater than the height of any obstacle located within the flight path.

• Command the control surfaces in "Manual” mode ➡️ Check V-Tail and wings are moving freely to its full extent.

• Check if the delay between executing the command on the GCS and observing the aircraft’s response is of at most 0.2 seconds as per the “CP_DELAY Delay Tuning” in PX4.

• Confirm Controller unit has more than 70% battery ➡️ Slide down from the top of the screen.

Flight Area and Weather Checks

• Confirm Airspeed below 5 m/s ➡️ If not, re-calibrate airspeed.

• Confirm weather report to confirm no precipitations.

• Confirm takeoff area is clear of people and obstacles within 50m.

Last Takeoff Checks

• Check if there is proper means of communication between pilot and trained observer if applicable (e.g. radio communication).

• Warn everyone about imminent takeoff.

Using Preflight Checklist through the Auterion Mission Control (AMC)

1. Click on the Vehicle button in the top bar.

The Firebird™ must be connected.

1. The aircraft overview menu will become visible.

2. On bottom submenus select Preflight checklist.

1. Click on the Preflight checklist.

1. The checklist is complete when all the tests in the final section are green.

2. You're ready to fly!

You can exit the checklist at any time by selecting outside of its boundary and reset it by clicking the button next to the Preflight checklist.

Auterion Suite records checklist results as a measure of pilot compliance. The checklist should be enabled by default but may not be on all ground stations.

Depending on the ground station configuration, the takeoff button may be disabled until the checklist is completed.